Lotus Exos T125 $1,000,000 Track Day Car

[Neal]

Looks like Lotus is serious about making a fresh start. Even if it is basically a F1 car rather than a brand new design it's still pretty amazing...I wonder if they'll take it to the Nurburgring!

Source: Golden Gate Lotus Club

Lots more photos here

The GGLC was proud to attend the world premier of the new Lotus Exos Type 125 at the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion today. The Lotus T125 is an F1 inspired track only car that uses Formula technology and a Cosworth V8 to provide stunning performance for the ultimate track day toy.

The first things that strikes you when you walk in is how much it looks like a current generation F1 car. The chassis is a carbon fiber monocoque both the wide front wing and the narrow rear wings of the 2009-spec F1 cars. It also has the coke bottle shape, top exit exhaust and shark fin engine covers that have been in vogue. Other technical similarities include carbon ceramic brakes and a carbon fiber pushrod suspension.

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The F1 technology continues inside the cockpit there the car uses paddle shifters to control the semi automatic gearbox as well as a multi function screen on the steering wheel that allows drivers to set the various parameters on the fly.

The engine is a 3.5L Cosworth GPV8 that has been detuned to produce 650 bhp with a 10,300 rpm redline (10,800 push to pass). Weighing just 650kg the car will have a power to weight ratio just shy of 1000 bhp per ton and should be faster than anything short of a recent Formula 1 car. However unlike an F1 car this engine is designed to run 4500 km between rebuilds and has a starter motor so that you don’t need a support crew to be able to run the car at the track.

Lotus plans to make just 25 Exos next year and will be pricing then at one million dollars apiece. Apart from the car itself, the Exos program will also include 5 “driver events” at various race tracks that will allow the owners to slowly come up to speed with the performance of their new car by getting instruction and advice from a variety of current and past Lotus drivers (a little birdy tells us that Mika Häkkinen and Jarno Trulli will be involved).

For more on the Exos please watch this video of Stephen Wright from Lotus Motorsports explaining the philosphy behind the Exos.

 

[homeforsummer]

Well, I guess that's Lotus returning to their lightness philosophy...

I suppose it's one way to make more money from your F1 program too! I like the way it says "F1 inspired"... come on, it basically is an F1 car. No inspiration about it...

 

[Eric Demory]

It isn't bad, I'd give it a 7.6/10. I can see a bit of classiness in it. Probably because it's a Lotus.

 

[McLaren]

Out of curiosity, what would be the price to have say, Williams build you a F1 car (I imagine Ferrari & Mclaren would be much more)?

Because $1,000,000 for what is really a F1 car at its prime seems like a good deal considering all the money that is spent on them in development.

 

[Omnis]

USF1 is going to buy two of them.

Looks like they're serious when they call it a track car. That's so awesome.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Looks like it could out pace the actual Lotus F1 car.

 

[GT_Prologue5]

That thing is wicked awesome.

 

[Neal]

It's good that it's being made in Norfolk but I'm more than a little sceptical about it being an ultimate no holds barred track car as it's got 2009 spec F1 wings when it could be using bigger items if it wasn't using existing F1 parts. Even so it's still awesome and it would be a fairly easy decision choosing the livery...John Player Special. Also I'd have this over the Caparo T1 any day and it sounds a lot more sensible than buying an ex-F1 car.

Question is if you had the money and were lucky enough to be able to choose would you have this or the Zonda R?

 

[GTPorsche]

That engine seems to be in line with the specs for the Indycar series. 👍

 

[McLaren]

It's good that it's being made in Norfolk but I'm more than a little sceptical about it being an ultimate no holds barred track car as it's got 2009 spec F1 wings when it could be using bigger items if it wasn't using existing F1 parts. Even so it's still awesome and it would be a fairly easy decision choosing the livery...John Player Special. Also I'd have this over the Caparo T1 any day and it sounds a lot more sensible than buying an ex-F1 car.

Question is if you had the money and were lucky enough to be able to choose would you have this or the Zonda R?

This.

I'm sure the Zonda R would also be amazing, but this just seems like it would such a blast on the track, just sitting there in the middle with the open cockpit, driving an oversized go-kart from one a company who knows the importance of building a solid handling car.

 

[Finnish Bomber]

I would have this over the Zonda, no question about it.

 

[G.T.Ace]

Too bad it's not street legal.

 

[homeforsummer]

Too bad it's not street legal.

To be fair, neither is the Zonda R...

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Question is if you had the money and were lucky enough to be able to choose would you have this or the Zonda R?

This has too much performance for me. The Zonda should be more fun.

 

[G.T.Ace]

To be fair, neither is the Zonda R...

True, but I think I would prefer the Zonda, but that's a matter of taste.

 

[astrosdude91]

I wonder what it would take to make this street legal. That would be a fun car to drive around town!

 

[McLaren]

I wonder what it would take to make this street legal. That would be a fun car to drive around town!

Probably quite a lot of work just on the engine itself.

Then again, this is Texas & passing emissions wouldn't be too hard.

 

[Jim Prower]

Shame it really IS for trackdays only. It'd be an interesting one-make series...

 

[astrosdude91]

Probably quite a lot of work just on the engine itself.

Then again, this is Texas & passing emissions wouldn't be too hard.

True that!

This being Texas, if someone really wanted to drive it on the road, they would. I've seen a few racing cars being driven on the road here in Houston.

 

[Eric.]

Shame it really IS for trackdays only. It'd be an interesting one-make series...

Kind of like a Formula series...?

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Shush Texans about your lax emissions testing... We don't get smogged whatsoever here in Michigan.

That said, this thing is awesome. Now add a pair of turbos and beat up on F1 cars.

 

[McLaren]

Yeah, but you guys have terrible driving roads...and snow.

 

[Northstar]

I don't get the point of this, perhaps they were secretly planning on entering in '09 but decided not to and are now trying to recoup the losses?

I think it would have been better if they used this car in a "Formula Lotus" style series.

 

[Ardius]

Interesting to see the connections between Lotus Cars and Lotus Racing grow further...and Cosworth continuing its increasing presence.

Lotus really is heading towards being "Ferrari in British Racing Green", funny that phrase makes more sense now than it did 10 years ago for Jaguar.

This looks like a very basic aero package, not a huge amount of windtunnel and design time has been put into this (it doesn't need to be, its not a competition car). Just look at the stepped elements on the front wing - very straight and blocky compared to the current T127 F1 car which has very sculpted wing elements.

I don't get the point of this, perhaps they were secretly planning on entering in '09 but decided not to and are now trying to recoup the losses?

I think it would have been better if they used this car in a "Formula Lotus" style series.

No, Lotus never planned to enter in 2009. What likely happened was Lotus Cars approached Lotus Racing or the other way around with this idea. The fact its designated "T125" suggests it was designed before the current F1 car and the very basic design suggests it was quickly done by Mike Gascoyne & Co in 2009. Maybe its an early design intended for the 2010 car.
The only odd part is the huge diffuser, which is not legal in the current F1 regulations I'm fairly sure anyway.

Lotus Cars never had any intention of entering F1 and other than Proton's involvement with Lotus Racing, it is still completely seperate.

I don't know what Lotus Cars assets are, but I'm doubtful that an F1-spec windtunnel and carbon fibre department (plus everything else) are part of them. Its quite obviously a production from Lotus Racing unless Lotus Cars went mental and really did sink a load of money into a wild F1 project which no one found out about.

Its also worth noting the Michelin tyres - what series' compound are they from? Probably larger Formula Renault tyres?

 

[Alex.]

It isn't bad, I'd give it a 7.6/10. I can see a bit of classiness in it. Probably because it's a Lotus.

It's a track car with luxuries to the extent of having seatbelts. How classy can it be? 7.6? Did you just come in take one look at it then decide what it is out of 10? it's an F1 car. Nuff said.

However basic the aero package give this car is going to be quick. I'm just thinking how 8000 less revs than a current spec F1 car is going to affect it's relative lap times. What do we think, 10 seconds slower in the hands of Jarno Trulli around Silverstone?

 

[Northstar]

No, Lotus never planned to enter in 2009.

I said, secretly and unless you are some sort of insider with Lotus you have no way of knowing if they were planning on a 2009 entry or not.

The fact its designated "T125" suggests it was designed before the current F1 car and the very basic design suggests it was quickly done by Mike Gascoyne & Co in 2009. Maybe its an early design intended for the 2010 car.

This actually supports my theory.

Lotus Cars never had any intention of entering F1 and other than Proton's involvement with Lotus Racing, it is still completely seperate.

Once again, unless you are some sort of Lotus insider we don't know just how much involvement Lotus has with the F1 team. The fact Proton(which owns Lotus) is involved would hint that there is at least some involvement.

 

[Dan_]

Awesome, just 🤬 awesome.

Where should I bolt on my "MC12 for the breakfast, Caparo for the lunch and FXX for the dinner" plates?

 

[Ardius]

I said, secretly and unless you are some sort of insider with Lotus you have no way of knowing if they were planning on a 2009 entry or not.

This actually supports my theory.

Once again, unless you are some sort of Lotus insider we don't know just how much involvement Lotus has with the F1 team. The fact Proton(which owns Lotus) is involved would hint that there is at least some involvement.

The F1 team is seperate from Lotus Cars. It was setup originally by Litespeed F3 and Mike Gascoyne, later to be funded and backed Tony Fernandes-led Malaysian companies.
I did not support your theory - there is a distinction to be made here:
Lotus Cars - The car company.
Lotus Racing - The 2010 F1 team.
Team Lotus - The original F1 team.

Lotus Racing != Lotus Cars.

I've been following Lotus Racing ever since they lodged their entry as "Litespeed Lotus", before Proton came along there was no connection with Lotus Cars. In fact, Proton and Lotus Cars threatened legal action!

As I said, I doubt Lotus Cars would have invested in the required F1 facilities to get to the stage of designing and building a car. If they had, why did Lotus Racing end up having to buy their own facilities in Norfolk?

What I was saying was that Lotus Racing or Litespeed Lotus may have offered this in the form of a deal alongside various other things (such as letting Lotus Cars use Trulli and Kovalainen as test drivers, allowing Lotus Cars to use their F1 presence for marketing, giving them Takuma Sato for Indycar, etc) to convince Proton/Lotus Cars to come onboard as sponsors. Clearly, the most obvious people to have designed this car are Lotus Racing but the connection with Lotus Cars was not there initially.

Also, if Lotus Cars really did lodge an entry and do all that work to build this car, why didn't they get chosen for 2010? Why would they need to join forces with Mike Gascoyne? They build F1 facilities, design a car, build it, presumably hire the staff to run it and then decide its better to just back a team which has no facilities and no car?

 

[Bram Turismo]

USF1 is going to buy two of them.

I was thinking exactly the same thing!

 

[Pupik]

I wonder what it would take to make this street legal.

Ride height.